CFTC to Host Cryptocurrency CEO Forum to Discuss Digital Asset Market Pilot Program

On March 18, data showed Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 market total open interest reached $1.43 billion as of March 15—setting a new all-time high. Since the first batch of HIP-3 markets launched six months ago, this metric has surged more than 100x. Currently, **trade.xyz**—built by Hyperliquid’s tokenization arm Hyperunit—dominates the space: it accounts for roughly 90% of the open interest, while its daily trading volume hovers around $22 billion (also ~90% of total HIP-3 trading activity). Notably, only 7 of the top 30 markets by volume on trade.xyz are crypto pairs; the majority are tokenized traditional assets, including S&P 500, Nasdaq, single-stock futures, and commodities like gold, silver, and crude oil. Analysts cite 24/7 trading support as a key driver of HIP-3’s growth—this feature lets traditional assets break free from standard market hours constraints.

On March 18, per Onchain Lens monitoring, Grayscale staked 19,200 ETH eight hours ago—valued at $44.6 million.

March 18: Coinbase is adding EDGEX (EDGEX) to its listing roadmap. Trading for the asset will launch only once liquidity support and technical infrastructure are ready. A separate announcement will be made once those conditions are met.

March 18 — Investment bank TD Cowen said the U.S. timeline for the Cryptocurrency Market Structure Bill could extend into the August recess, scrapping earlier expectations the legislation would pass before the Easter break. TD Cowen’s Washington Research Group Managing Director Jaret Seiberg noted the Easter recess isn’t a hard deadline, with legislative work continuing both before and after the break. Primaries wrapping up will also give some lawmakers more flexibility to negotiate, he added. Seiberg believes the August recess is the last meaningful legislative window — after that, Congress will meet just 12 days in September and 2 days in October, only enough to handle spending bills and defense authorization. He also repeated that a shift in congressional control following the 2026 midterms could delay the bill until 2027. The House is expected to flip to Democratic control, and Democrats may hold off on the bill until 2027 to gain more leverage. Right now, the crypto bi

**U.S.-Style Breaking News Rewrite** Iranian sources report Qasem Soleimani and his son Mohsen were assassinated at their daughter’s home in Parand on March 18. Deputy Ali Reza Birgia was also killed in the incident. The New York Times notes the pair’s funerals are set for the same day. Local time on March 17, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Soleimani’s death. The Israeli military carried out an airstrike early that day targeting a location in Tehran, Iran’s capital. Israel had allegedly tracked Soleimani for weeks prior, following the assassination of Ali Khamenei. Also on March 17, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the military will “hunt down” Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Xinhua News Agency, citing Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), reports Iran has pre-designated 3 to 7 backup successors for all key government officials and military commanders to maintain core government functions during

March 18th The Middle East situation remained deadlocked overnight and into Tuesday, with investors digesting the inflationary impact of elevated oil prices and shifting focus to the upcoming Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate decision. U.S. stocks, gold, and oil traded in narrow ranges, while U.S. Treasury yields and the U.S. dollar both declined. Bitcoin, however, failed to extend its strong momentum from Monday, trading sideways around $74,000. Per Bitget market data: - U.S. major indices closed slightly higher: S&P 500 up 0.25%, Nasdaq Composite up 0.47%, Dow Jones Industrial Average nearly unchanged. - Energy stocks gained across the board, with Exxon Mobil rising 1%. - Most crypto-related stocks advanced: MicroStrategy (MSTR) up 1.87%, Bitfarms (BMNR) down 0.68%, Circle (CRCL) adding 5.15% to break above $130. Per HTX market data: Bitcoin once again failed to breach $75,000, retreating to $73,980.53. The Fed will announce its interest rate decision at 2 a.m. B